Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-08-19

| NO, NO. Can IOTSlVo you, 1
said. incOherently. at wasn't only
your trying to steal my letter and to
stuprfy me. but the cruel way you
looked at meas if-you would like to
kill me. can't forget it-Oh! l can't
forget it. And you did worse than
that You told cook. Mr. Rayner was
| coming to nv room. Oh that was
wicked of you, for you knew it wasn't
true"
That's that little tattling Jane,
know" said Sarah, vixenishly. II
never said such thing at all; but she
likes to make story up of everything
she hears"
Twas silent for a minute. Sarah be-
gan again in different tone:
/ "You're very hard upon poor ser
want. Miss Christie. ! don't deny that
/ was jealous of you, and that l want
ed to prove to Mr.. Rayner that you had
letters on the sly from young gentle
man. There now-I'ye made a clean
breast of it! But don't it seem hard
unat 1, VINO We served him and his well
for nigh seven years. should have to 60
just at the word of a young lady who
hasn't been here two mOnths?"
at isn't at my word. Sarah; I have
had nothing to do with it. And, as to
your going away, l heard about it only
this morning through asking Jane why
she was doing my ROOM"
Then You don't want me to 60
away?"
1T doesn't matter to me whether
you 60 or stay, as l have packed my
boxes, and am going back to London
myself this very afternoon.
Sarah started. Then she gave dis
agreeable laugh.
"You won't CO." she said.
You can 60 upstairs and look at
my boxes" said. Indignantly.
"Have you spoken to Mr.. Rayner
about it yet, may ask, missp" said she,
dryly.
"Not yet; but am going to tell him
this morning."
''Then would you mind. before you
60, miss s"-she laid peculiar emphasis
! on these words asking Mr.. Rayner
to let me stay? 1t won't matter to
you, you see; but it's more to me than
l can tell"
''But what I might say wouldn't
make any difference, Sarah," l remon-
strated, presently. "You overrate my
importance in this household in the
strangest way. My words haven't half
the weight with MIR. Rayner that yours
have" Sarah looked at me eagerly as
l said this, but she did not seem salts
fled. THAT is quite right and natural,
as you have been here SO long and are
so much older, too"
She did not like my saying that. l
saw, by the tightening of her thin lips;
but certainly had not meant to offend
her. However, after minute pause,
she said again:
"Then, as you won't be afraid of
your words having any effect, miss,
perhaps you will the less mind asking
Mr.. Rayner to let me stay"
concluded that as was going away
it would make no difference, SO I said:
Every well; l will ask him.
As soon as the words had left my lips
she thanked me coldly and left the
room without showing the least graft
tude.
When Mr.. Rayner returned to the
study informed him of my intention
to leave the Alders at once. "And, oh,
Mr.. Rayner." went on quickly, "you
mustn't think me ungrateful or ca
pricious; but have packed my boxes,
and want you to release me from my
engagement, and let me go back to
London by this afternoons train! For.
if had to sleep in that room another
night. l should 60 mad"
MY dear child" he said, gravely.
''you cant do that-for our sakes"
''But l must-I must. indeed" I
cried, pitcously. You don't know,
you can't tell what suffered when
felt her hand creeping up to my throat,
and thought | was going to be killed
did, indeed. And then thought the
stuff on the handkerchief was poison.
She says it Is only something to make
me sleep. Is it true, Mr.. Rayncr?
Here is the handkerchief And !
pulled it from my pocket and gave it
to him.
| "Quite true," said he; but saw him
frown. ut is chlOrofOrm, which she
got out of my medicine-chest. No, that
wouldn't have hurt you. child; but it
was cruel trick all the same Do you
know what she did it for?''
"Oh, yes, she told me! She wanted
to get at a letter-from a-from a
friend which wore round my neck
But have forgiven her and promised l
would ask you to let her stay. told
her it wouldn't matter what said; but
she made me promise.
"And what made you think what you
said wouldn't matter?" asked he.
gently.
There is no reason why it should. -"
said !. "But / couldn't have promised
to ask you to let her stay if had not
been going away myself. Mr.. Rayner.
you must let me 60"
II will let you 60 if you wish it.
But you can not 60 to-day. Think what
people would say of us # it got rumored
about that our child's governess
was so cruelty treated under our roof
that she went away without days
warning. No; you shall have a differ
ent room. or Jane shall sleep in yours
for week or so. until your very natur-
al nervousness has gone off; and then,
il, at the end of the three months, you
still wish to 60. why, we won't keep
you, child, though l think some of us
will never get over it if you leave US
too suddenly"
He spoke so sweetly. so kindly, and
yet with such authority of superior
wisdom, that had to give way. Then,
bound by my promise, had even to
ask again that Sarah should stay, and
he agreed that she should.
But later in the day it was not
pleasant to see Sarah's acid smile as
she said, when she heard was going
to stay:
Il told you so. miss"
And when said to her: II kept my
promise, and asked Mr. Rayner for you
to stay. Sarah, she answered.: Then
am to stay, of course, miss?" In the
same tone And l was reluctantly
obliged to admit that she was.
And, as looked at her face. which
could never seem to me again to look
any thing but evil, a sudden horror
seized me at the thought that had
pledged myself to stay for five whole
weeks mere in the same house with thil
. woman.